CEDAR FENCE VS. ACQ TREATED PINE, WHICH IS BETTER?

PROBLEMS WITH LUMBER OUTSIDE IN WEATHER

The warmth and beauty of a low cost wood fence is a great solution for many homeowners needing pet containment, privacy, or security. Wood fences definitely serve a large segment of the market, so you will want to know as much as possible about them to make an educated choice in materials for your new fence.

#1 PROBLEM – SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES

In my experience of over 30 years in the fence industry the #1 problem of wood fencing in the East Tennessee area is the damage done by SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES and other wood CONSUMING INSECTS and FUNGII. A huge swath cuts across the states of TENNESSEE, ALABAMA, GEORGIA, and MISSISSIPPI mapping the highest problem (damage) areas in the nation with the subterranean termites. Mild winters and moist ground create a perfect growing conditions. Each colony created by these termites may contain over a million termites. The worker termite continuously forages for food, cellulose wood fiber (your untreated fence posts, your home wood framing). As natures clean up crew for dead and decaying trees including fence posts in the ground they excellent in their job! Worker termites will tunnel out from the colony up to 100 yards in search of wood to feed on. The worker termites live for about 2 years and they feed continuously for 24 hours a day! Untreated fence posts are highly susceptible to this subterranean termite unless specifically treated with chemical insecticide ACQ . Look around your home and view the number of natural wood fences in your area that have untreated wood! Grayed out, leaning, decomposing, termite riddled low grade cedar is not so appealing! Now look at the increasing number of PEST CONTROL COMPANY TERMITE TRAPS INSTALLED in your neighborhood. Is there a correlation between the increase in termites, great climate for growth, and a plentiful supply of untreated food source? I think so! The damage is done from the inside out so by the time you see the evidence of the termite infestation, IT’S TO LATE! Most of the damage done by this termite is hidden underground where they tunnel unseen underground from the colony searching for the wood and consume it inside out. By the time you see fence posts leaning, tracks on the wood, rotten at the base of a post ground level, the damage has been on going for several years. If you have one of these KNOCK OFF CEDAR FENCES and it has termite damage call a professional pest control company, because it’s only a short jump from the fence to your house and there are millions of those subterranean termites! The photos below are from Knoxville and these are of KNOCK OFF CEDAR FENCES! On the left the termites have eaten the KNOCK OFF CEDAR FENCE posts away and the homeowner has been propping up the fence for a year. In the middle is a KNOCK OFF CEDAR FENCE riddled with termites, the inside of several posts are seen eaten out and also termite tracks on the posts, pickets, and rails. The photo below right is of another KNOCK OFF CEDAR FENCE eaten clear through by subterranean termites! Don’t get scammed! with a KNOCK OFF CEDAR FENCE. If you want a beautiful CEDAR FENCE that will last 15-20 years you MUST SPECIFY ALL PARTS TO BE REAL WESTERN RED CEDAR set in REAL CONCRETE! I can understand seeing this damage after about 15-20 years, but in 5-8 years! This is scandalous! If you are being pitched this Cedar for the Price of Pine, Will Last For Generations…Buyer Beware, this is what happens to the KNOCK OFF CEDAR in 5-8 years.

#2 PROBLEM – NATURAL CHARACTERISTIC OF ALL WOOD OUTSIDE TO WARP, CRACK, SPLIT

The #2 problem with wood fencing in East Tennessee area is that of the natural characteristic of lumber cracking, splitting, warping and grain raising. This is a natural characteristic of all lumber. As a natural product, all wood is made up of cell structure, the severity of the potential to warp crack split is determined by the individual species lumber cell structure. Wood fencing, no matter what type of lumber used, will require a regular maintenance to keep it attractive and useful. This includes replacing or repairing boards as needed, replacement of posts as needed, and a cleaning and staining of the fence inside and outside.

HISTORY OF WOOD FENCE AND DECK LUMBER IN THE SOUTH

In the 1950’s to late 1960’s the most popular and durable outside lumber in the south was redwood or western red cedar. This lumber came from the west coast, from old growth forests. large trees with high naturally occurring chemical which resisted insects. For a durable outdoor product this was the lumber of choice. This lumber was beautiful and expensive to use, but there were not any other viable options at the time. In the mid 1960’s to early 1970’s a shift in lumber usage occurred. Low cost southern yellow pine lumber cut from local renewable forests used for years in the housing industry found a new market. Advances in technology produced a method to inject southern yellow pine with insecticide into the cell structure. A new industry was established using low cost southern yellow pine, a regional product already widely used in the housing industry that now was warranted for termites against structural integrity of the lumber. In the mid 1990’s to early 2000’s a new entry made it to the East Tennessee market, a Northern White Cedar fence lumber touted to last for generations. With high powered marketing, and an explosion of the housing market and increased need for fencing this beautiful new White Cedar fence was installed and marketed as Cedar for the Price of Pine! This gorgeous looking fence became very popular in East Tennessee until homeowners reached the 6 to 8 year mark and realized their cedar fence is eaten up with termites and falling over. White Cedar Fencing in colder Northern climates ( with deep freeze lines of 36″ ) such as Chicago did indeed last for many years, this same fencing in the south lasts less than 8 years!

WEATHER CONCERNS IN THE SOUTH – HOW THAT AFFECTS YOUR WOOD FENCE

In the South ( East Tennessee) we typically have mild winters, little snowfall, and lots of fluctuations in the temperature every few days. In the summertime even though it may be 80 degrees outside, the lake water is still cold. It may take 30 days of full sun and hot days to warm up the top layer of water. The same is true of the earth we stand on and bugs live in. Our winters are not cold and harsh enough to significantly kill the insect population. Anyone who has lived here very long will remember a warm spell in Dec, Jan, or Feb where you will here frogs and see flies buzzing around and maybe get mosquito bit. Our frost line for all practical purposes is probably about 9″ deep, where Chicago and further up north is closer to 36″ deep frost line. This means that wood fence products in the north have a hiatus from termites, ants eating posts ( going dormant). Those same wood fence products in East Tennessee are continuously being damaged 24 hours a day once infested by termites and ants. Most common of the damage is the structural posts which are 2-3 feet deep in the earth, unseen until the damage has already been done.

CEDAR FENCING – WHAT TYPE OF CEDAR ARE YOU BUYING?

Cedar fencing is a beautiful natural product commonly used for fencing. It has a great strength to weight ratio which makes it ideal for many uses including fencing. Only the heartwood has any appreciable degree of durability; sapwood IS considered perishable. Cedar Fencing has no warranty for termites and other insects other than being naturally resistant. This termite and ant resistance should be clarified as: NOT A WARRANTY BUT A STATEMENT! As for CEDAR FENCING you should learn WHAT TYPE CEDAR you are looking at, WHAT GRADE CEDAR, and is it a MATURE OLD GROWTH CEDAR? Sounds crazy, but there are OVER 20 TYPES of CEDAR to choose from – expensive to cheap and also many grades to choose from expensive to cheap. Do your homework and don’t get scammed. See our article on wood fence scams and don’t be a victim. Have you been quoted beautiful cedar for the cost of pine?

CEDAR FENCE TYPES -THE TRUTH BEHIND WOOD IDENTIFICATION REAL WESTERN RED CEDAR

-come from old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, huge trees with wood grades: cabinet grade clear down to fence grade. When quoted for CEDAR FENCING this is the lumber you expect to get when you purchase a cedar fence and expect it to last 15 to 20 years. These old growth REAL WESTERN RED CEDAR BOARDS are thick, and come in fence boards 6″ to 12″ in width. Don’t be surprised if the low cost cedar fence you buy today is riddled with termites and decay in 5-8 years, specify REAL WESTERN RED CEDAR: POSTS, RAILS, PICKETS, STAINLESS STEEL NAILS, and REAL CONCRETE! CEDAR FENCE – from small trees, readily harvestable, with little heartwood mostly sapwood (the part that is least resistant to insects) comes in grades

#1 grade – BEST clear no knots both sides, most expensive of the fence lumber

#1 1face grade – clear one side, the other not so much #2 grade and better – allows for a few knots and they will be small 3/4″ or less and very tight, also has some #1 grade mixed in, more economical

#2 grade – rustic, allows for a few small tight knots less than 3/4″ in size

#3 grade – least desirable, some holes, lots of knots ( like a Speckled Pup), some bark acceptable (low grade outside cambium part of tree), dry rot, whatever does not make the grading cut. Leftovers after the rest of the grading very, very inexpensive.

IS THIS WHAT YOU ARE GETTING?

Northern White Cedar, Northern Red Cedar, Eastern White Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, Atlantic White Cedar, Atlantic Red Cedar, Coastal Cedar, Swamp Cedar, Mid Atlantic Cedar, Canadian Cedar, Red Cedar, Mid Atlantic Red Cedar, Cypress Cedar, Northern Fir Northern Spruce NON OF THESE ARE WESTERN RED CEDAR!!!

LUMBER CHARACTERISTICS – WARPING

As we start comparing the two distinct lumber fencing products both cedar and treated pine have good and bad points associated with them. Both types of lumber are harvestable, renewable, and readily available. Both products look beautiful when brand new, and that is where likeness stops. As a natural product all lumber is composed of cell structure with water inside the cell. Treated pine lumber has more water retention ability and less uniform cell structure than cedar. Cedar has less water retention ability and a more defined cell structure. All lumber has cell structure, and all cells will in some degree or another have water retention. YES IT’S TRUE! ALL WOOD OUTSIDE IN THE ELEMENTS CAN AND PROBABLY WILL WARP TO SOME DEGREE! Because of the striations in the cedar cell structure and limited water retention CEDAR is less prone to the degree of warping as compared southern yellow pine. I like the look of cedar fencing, so if termites are it’s Krypton why not just treat it with the same chemicals? Great question! The same characteristics that cedar does not have a high water retention is why it will not accept the chemical insecticide treatment. If you have a salesman tell you his lumber is specifically warranted against warping, have that put in writing, confirm the warranty with the main office, and keep your warping warranty on file for your lawsuit. Concrete driveways are guaranteed to crack, all Natural Wood Fence is guaranteed to warp, crack, and split. Insects and fungi are natures clean up crew, feeding off dead and decaying fallen trees in the woods. Untreated wood fencing near or attached to your home is no different than the fallen trees to subterranean termites, except it is a short jump for termites to travel from your fence to your home.

How Do They SALT ROASTED PEANUTS INSIDE THE SHELL?

An analogy that I use to explain the treatment process of pine for termite protection is that of salted roasted peanuts in the shell. So how do they get the salt inside the shell of roasted peanuts without cracking open the shell? Simple, peanuts are added to boiling pots of saltwater. After sufficient soaking time they are removed and roasted, Roasting also removes the moisture leaving the salt residue behind. Treated pine fencing has ACQ chemical inspective impregnated into the wood fiber cell structure through a process of pressurization of lumber in a tank. The lumber is removed from the tank it is placed in inventory in bundles. The lumber is wet from the treatment process and will eventually dry out and equalizing with the air pressure. As the moisture content of the lumber reaches equilibrium the insecticide chemical residue is left behind inside the lumber in the actual cell structure. The upside of this characteristic is to absorb moisture (and insecticide) while the downside of loss of moisture results in drying out of the cell structure. Unfortunately southern yellow pine cell structure is not uniform, and when drying out is susceptible to warping more so than other lumber. So why don’t they pressure treat insecticide in cedar lumber to warranty it from termites? Cedar fence cell structure is more uniform, as seen in the wood fibers and thus less susceptible to warping, however the same cell density structure of cedar will not sustain the ACQ treatment process. So there you have it, if you live in …. TENNESSE, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, or MISSISSIPPI you are living in the hotbed for subterranean termites. When choosing a Natural Wood Fence for your home, be sure to consider the pros and cons of each product and the maintenance cost and net 10 year residual value. SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE FENCE low cost fence installation carries a 10 year manufacturers ACQ chemical warranty for termite infestation more susceptible to warp more than other wood …. like cedar lumber will check, and have grain raising color fades to silver gray from sunlight UV rays expected life in East Tennessee about 15 to 20 years, maybe more expected 10 year residual value of well maintained fencing = 30% CEDAR FENCE – KNOCK OFF CEDARS: NORTHERN WHITE CEDAR/ATLANTIC CEDAR/SWAMP CEDAR/ RED CEDAR/ EASTERN CEDAR/SPRUCE lowest cost fence installation NO WARRANTY FOR TERMITE INFESTATION light weight has a great strength to weight ratio lumber will check, and have grain raising color fades to silver gray from sunlight UV rays susceptible to warping (not as much as other lumber) expected life in East Tennessee about 5-8 years expected 10 year residual value of well maintained fencing = ZERO% or negative to haul off REAL WESTERN RED CEDAR FENCE most expensive materials of the wood fence installation NO WARRANTY FOR TERMITE INFESTATION OLD GROWTH WESTERN RED CEDAR contains high levels of TANIN in the heartwood – resistant to insects lightweight and great strength to weight ratio, denser than other cedars very little warping due to slow old growth lumber expected life in East Tennessee about 15-20 years expected 10 year residual value of well maintained fencing = 30%